1. Leadership – as if education and the planet mattered Di DalePrincipal & CEO, Wiltshire CollegeChair AoC SW Sustainable Colleges Group

2. SW Colleges of FE – Leadership on The Sustainable Journey • What we did • Barriers overcome • Lessons learned • Benefits for students

3. The Further Education Context – 32 Colleges in SW • Various approaches and levels of commitment • FE Capital Programme (it’s collapse – BREEAM – what now?) • Very little resource • The Green Colleges Declaration • South West UK’s first low carbon region

4. The AoC Sustainable Thematic Project • AoC/LSC/RDA funds for a 3 year project • Creating a network – it’s breadth and depth is unique • Best practice dissemination • Awareness raising events

5. Phase 1 • Baseline audit of sustainable activity in SW Colleges in 2008 using 4 key themes: Leadership and Management, Estates & Buildings, Curriculum & Learning, Business & Community • 91% response rate

6. Key Headlines from the baseline survey in the South West region • 38% of colleges have an SD policy • 17% of colleges have an SD organisation role in the structure • 39% of colleges have an SD committee • 14% of colleges have an SD Action Plan • 61% of colleges have a measure of energy use • 47% of colleges have an action plan for reduction of energy use • 10% of colleges have an EMS • 29% of colleges have a sustainable procurement policy • 43% of colleges have a green travel plan • 48% of colleges have begun to embed SD in the curriculum • 32% of colleges encourage volunteering in the community

7. 2009 – Phase 2 • 11 Case Studies examined in depth • Huge variety of best practice • May 2009 dissemination event – 65 attendees, 5 workshops – student participation • Opportunity for college leaders and managers to plan

8. Phase 3 – looking to the future – further funds secured • 3 workshops during 2010 • Embedding SD in Curriculum Delivery • Promoting Sustainability in our estates on tight budgets • College governors briefing

9. Barriers overcome • Securing the funding • Working together • Overcoming anxiety • Managing reluctance • Using champions to lead task groups

10. Lessons Learned • Leadership commitment to SD is crucial • Where are the government funded initiatives for FE (as in Greening Schools)? • The students are leading the way – many benefits • Cooperation and collaboration are critical to best practice and dissemination

11. SD in SW Colleges – the way forward • Recession impact • Budgets in next 3 years • Will SD initiatives lose momentum? • Renewed commitment critical